Uganda, Cuba sign MoU on bilateral trade
The agreement was signed in Kampala by top government officials headed by Vice President Jessica Alupo, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) officials and the delegation from Cuba headed by the first vice president of Cuba, Salvador Antonio Valdes.
What you need to know:
- The meeting came hours before today’s [Friday’s] anticipated opening ceremony of the Heads of State and government of the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, a ceremony that will be hosted by President Museveni in Munyonyo, a suburb located in the Kampala Metropolitan area.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral trade Cooperation has been signed between Uganda and Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean.
The agreement was signed on Thursday evening in Kampala by top government officials headed by Vice President Jessica Alupo, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) officials and the delegation from Cuba headed by the first vice president of Cuba, Salvador Antonio Valdes.
Ms Alupo said the MoU will focus on bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.
“I am particularly pleased that you are leading your country’s delegation and chose to have a bilateral meeting with me,” said Ms Alupo flanked by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) officials at the meeting.
“Your visit provides us an opportunity to continue our discussions and exchange views on bilateral and other important international issues. This meeting also enables us to explore new areas of cooperation, further deepen our relations and take them to higher levels,” she added.
The meeting came hours before today’s [Friday’s] anticipated opening ceremony of the Heads of State and government of the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, a ceremony that will be hosted by President Museveni in Munyonyo, a suburb located in the Kampala Metropolitan area.
Mr Valdes hoped that the agreement would improve the trading economies of both countries.
“It is important to say how transcendental the signature of this agreement will help us not only to develop economies of both countries but also commerce between two nations,” he said.
“I recall it was the idea of the President of Uganda who proposed in 2022 an agreement to help Cuba avail with goods that are produced in Uganda. This is an agreement of importance and will be of course counter-traded with the products and services that we know are necessary here in Uganda…It will also give an opportunity to Uganda to enter the Caribbean and Latin-American market with your products,” Mr Valdes added.
Ms Alupo hoped that the technical team of both countries concretised the agreement and eventually at political level, there would be a strong will and commitment to implement the agreement to the latter.
The signing of the agreement follows two-previously signed MoUs between the two countries in the field of science and regular diplomatic consultations.
One, signed on September 14, 2023 was on the collaboration agreement in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovations between the National Secretariat of Science, Innovation and Technology of Uganda and that of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba.
The second MoU was signed on September 15, 2023 on regular diplomatic consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba.
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